Twinsburg Class of 2011 Valedictorian Works Hard to Help Others

Even though it wasn’t official till last Monday, William Myers, a senior at , figured out nearly four months ago that he was going to be the valedictorian of his graduating class. The news was a surprise to him.

“It came out of nowhere and I wasn’t expecting it,” Myers said. “I never really thought of it, until it hit me that, “Wow, I’m at the top of my class.”

Some students make it their main goal to be number one. Myers said he just wanted to work hard, saying that achieving the top status was never his motivation. One of the reasons he succeeded, he said, is because he has been “obsessive” at times.

“I don’t like being unprepared,” Myers said.

Even though he admits to letting school consume him every so often, he also has a knack for finding the more exciting points in some of the most boring subjects.

“I like to talk to people, talk to teachers and just find a way to keep my interest,” Myers said.

But school took up only a fraction of Myers’ time. Since his freshman year he has kept himself busy with myriad activities outside of the classroom. He has been in track and cross country all four years and dabbled in other areas such as marching band and jazz band. Both cross country and track were two activities he enjoyed for the challenge, constantly pushing himself to be better each year.

“I just joined because my friends were doing it,” Myers said. “Then I found myself getting a lot better and having a good time with it.”

Away from the books and fields, one of his favorite memories was getting a group of friends together be “super fans” for the marching band at a high school football game. He and his friends painted themselves up and sprinted on the field during halftime to support the band.

“The band sort of liked it,” Myers said with a chuckle.

Recently named a National Merit Scholar, Myers will attend The Ohio State University. While he hasn’t declared a major yet, he plans to get his degree in international business and political science.

“I realized I want to be involved in nonprofits and try to find some way to make an impact,” Myers said.

Myers is no stranger to helping others. In his sophomore year, he helped put together a charity event to raise $2,000 for a local food bank and recently went on a missions trip to help out a struggling community in a small town in West Virginia; one of the poorest in the nation. He has another trip planned for this summer as well.

But as Myers and his senior classmates prepare for the next phase of their lives, he offered a piece of advice for the new class of freshmen who will begin their high school careers this fall: Make the most of these next four years.

“You need to be finding out who you are, not who other people want you to be,” he said. I’m sure it’s been said many times, but it’s the truth.”